Rocky Balboa styleVarsity jacketWhite sleeves8 colourwaysM to 4XL
The essentials: a varsity jacket in the Rocky Balboa style, with a coloured fleece body and contrasting white sleeves, white press studs in place of a zip, and striped ribbing at the collar, cuffs and hem. ROCKY marking in cracked capitals: small on the left chest, large on the back. 8 colourways, 6 sizes from M to 4XL. €49, free delivery.
The jacket you had to earn to keep
The varsity jacket — also called a letterman jacket — was born in 1865 in the baseball team of Harvard College. That year the players wore a thick grey flannel sweater with a large H sewn across the chest. This one is fleece, with white raglan sleeves and press studs, in 8 colourways.
The detail that created everything lies in one rule: the garment belonged to the team, and players had to hand it back at the end of the season. Only those who had played the decisive games kept theirs. They were called the lettermen — the ones who wore the letter. In 1875 the Harvard football team took up the same principle, and then every American university followed.
That is what explains the shape of the garment to this day: contrasting sleeves, press studs rather than a zip, striped ribbing in the team colours. A varsity jacket was never designed as a technical shell. It was designed as proof.
Cut, fabric and finish
Fleece body in the chosen colour, white raglan sleeves, press stud front, striped ribbing at the collar, cuffs and hem. Two side pockets.
The ROCKY marking is printed in cracked capitals — small on the left chest, large across the back.
Technical specifications
You may also like
- Balboa windbreaker — light hooded shell with a large back print, if you want the widest choice of colourways.
- UFC bomber — MA-1 cut, quilted orange lining and a sleeve pocket, if you want the bomber line.
- Lonsdale zip jacket — a zipped Lonsdale jacket in 6 colourways, if you want the brand on a straight cut.
All ten are gathered in the boxing jackets collection.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the varsity jacket come from?
From Harvard College in 1865, where the baseball team wore a grey flannel sweater with a large H across the chest. The jacket belonged to the team and had to be handed back; only those who played the decisive games kept theirs — the lettermen.
Why press studs rather than a zip?
Because that is the original construction. A varsity jacket was never a technical shell: the contrasting sleeves, the press studs and the striped ribbing all come from the team garment it started as.
Which size should I take?
Six sizes, M to 4XL. European cut — take your usual size. The fit is straight, worn over a t-shirt or a hoodie.
Where is the ROCKY marking placed?
Small on the left chest and large across the back, in cracked capitals. The cracked finish is part of the print, not wear.
Are the sleeves white on every colourway?
Yes. The body changes colour across the 8 colourways; the raglan sleeves stay white, as does the press stud front.
How do you look after it?
Machine wash at 30 °C / 86 °F, inside out, no tumble dryer and no iron directly on the print. Washing inside out is what protects the marking: it is the friction against the drum that dulls a print, more than the water.
Going further
To complete the kit: our boxing hoodies, our tracksuits and our t-shirts.
